


Ouran Host - College Years

by EllySketchit



Category: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Bullying, Damsels in Distress, F/M, Falling In Love, First Love, Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-17 22:22:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16982877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllySketchit/pseuds/EllySketchit
Summary: Her hands lightly rested on his chest. Strange how they seemed to burn there, since her palms were warm but not hot. The people around them forgotten, he pulled gently to bring her face closer to his. It was more a request than an act of force and she went willingly as soon as she felt his urging. They slowly came together, noses brushing softly before their mouths met....





	1. I've Never Had Friends Before

It was one of her days off from class and she was busy working, cleaning off tables and waiting on folks from time to time. Elly came from an influential family that could afford to put her through school and pay for her housing, but she had decided to try and pay her own way for her room at least. The sushi place wasn't a demanding job, really, and she was glad to have work where she could practice her language skills once in awhile.

The doors opened, flooding the entrance with golden sunlight and the equally bright chatter of young people.

A large group of friends were coming into the restaurant. Elly glanced quickly up, her eyes widening. She recognized them from her class - especially the extremely tall young man with the younger looking boy on his shoulders.

"May I take this group?" she politely asked her boss in Japanese. He glanced down at her and nodded with a smile. It was good they had someone that could speak fluent English and was fairly decent at Japanese as well. His own grip on the English language was coming along better now that she was helping him and he couldn't deny her a table when she requested. She rarely asked him for anything at all, even days off.

Everything went fairly smooth except that she was certain the handsome guy didn't know who she was. She grimaced to herself as they were leaving. They'd all been wonderful to her, some even flirting, which shocked her so badly she'd almost dropped a cup.

All but the tall guy who sat next to the little boy. He simply ate. Once she'd caught him wiping the little one's face when he'd gotten ice cream all over it. Smart, handsome and gentle? That was too much!

She knew she wasn't a prize. Though she was young her hair had silver streaks in it already and she considered herself too fat. Her judgement of herself came from the women around her and the fact that she'd never had a man ask her out. At age eighteen she still hadn't been out with a boy and she thought this proof she was defective in some way. In fact she (usually) didn't really notice guys anymore. It seemed a waste.

But ever since this one had been introduced in class she hadn't been able to take her mind off of him. She'd thought Japanese men were short but this guy towered above all his classmates. His hair was short and such a dark, rich black that it seemed almost blue - with no gray, she added bitterly to herself. His voice when he spoke was smooth and low, yet he spoke so rarely that she only heard him say anything in class. More than a little depressed, she sighed and turned away from them. It must be nice to have so many friends. And one of them a gorgeous guy like that.

She was paying so little attention that she didn't even notice a small book had fallen out of her pocket as she walked towards the kitchens.

"Come on, Takashi!" The small boy was waving a pink bunny plush around in the air like a weapon. The others were filing out, chatting along the way. The dark-haired young man ignored his thrilled cousin as he glanced down and saw the book she dropped.

He silently picked it up, noting what was written on the inside flap.

Contrary to Elly's belief, he'd known who she was. He tucked the book in his pocket to return to her later as he didn't see where she had gone. Later some would point out that he could have easily have given it to the owner or left it on the table.

But he didn't.

Takashi Morinozuka was conflicted.

He wanted to give the book back to its owner right away but class wasn't scheduled for another few days. They had a small recess period in which some folks were off to visit parents and relatives. Since his family lived in Japan, however, he had all this time to himself.

He thought the girl would need her book back before then. So he showed it to his cousin, the blond-haired boy he was so protective of. Interestingly enough, the "little boy" everyone called Honey was actually eighteen. He still looked like a kid though, especially since he acted and dressed the part. His diminutive stature was enough, especially when coupled with his gigantic cousin.

"Mitsukuni."

Honey tilted his head inquisitively and grasped the pages, reading the address. "Isn't this the girl in our language class? The one from the sushi place last night?"

He nodded.

"Okay. Then let's go!" He exclaimed dramatically, pointing in the direction of the apartments that were listed. They were close by the campus so it didn't take long. The tall, dark-haired man had long legs that closed distances quickly when he wanted. In only a little while they were standing before a neat-looking apartment that had the curtains tightly drawn, unlike many of the rest. There were pretty shells lining the outside of the house, some appeared to be damp as if coming straight from the ocean that was only a car drive away.

Honey squirmed around until Takashi set him gently down. He bent to look more closely at the shells while the blonde-haired boy danced around the area looking for a way in or some open windows. As he was admiring them a footstep sounded and he turned to find the girl that had served them last night.

"Hey," Honey exploded out happily from the bushes on the side of the house, twigs in his blond hair and leaves raining around him. "It's you! Hi!" He waved exuberantly.

"Hi. I, uh, know you from class. Honey, right? And Mori."

"Found this." Takashi brought the book out from under his arm and handed it to her. Her eyes went wide.

"Oh, thank goodness. I thought I'd never see it again!" She touched him lightly on the arm. "Thank you. I can't afford to lose my notes and get an even worse grade in class." She made a little face when she said that.

"You're really good in class." Honey tilted his head at her in his cutest manner, eyes wide. She still didn't take the bait; amazed, he watched as she continued to treat him in the same calm manner she did at the restaurant.

"Thank you. I need those skills if I'm going to transfer to Japan." She absently began picking up some of the shells from the ledge and checking underneath before depositing them in her bag along with the book.

Takashi peered closely and saw she had a necklace made of different shells today around her pale neck. He said nothing but Honey spoke up as he normally did.

"Do you like seashells? You had some pretty ones last night and those are real neat, too. "

Elly nodded. "Yep. This is what I'm good at - anything that lives under the water. I'm done taking classes for awhile... well, except that one." Her sweatshirt hood suddenly bulged and a pair of furry, long ears crept up behind her head. She appeared not to notice but Honey did.

"Is that a bunny behind you?!"

"Yeah," she smiled as she took a key out and opened her door. "Come on in. It's his feeding time anyway and I see you might like to help. See, he's a bad eater and he gets sick if he eats too fast. Someone left him at the local shelter because they couldn't be bothered with supervising his meals. It's no big deal, really, you just have to make sure you give him only a little at a time."

"What's his name?" Honey had given his stuffed rabbit to his cousin for safekeeping as Elly placed her furry pal down on the ground. He was large for a rabbit, a rich chocolate color with a patch over one eye that was white. It made him look like he was wearing a tiny monocle. 

"I usually call him Ari."

"That's a funny name."

"It's short for Aristotle," she explained.

"Aristotle?" The big guy looked mildly surprised. The two followed her into the kitchen, no longer surprised at the lack of sunlight in the small room. There were fish tanks lining shelves along one side - many, with lots of colorful species in them. The kitchen was different, though. With the curtains open, sunlight flooded the small room, making it warm and inviting.

"Yeah," she grinned shyly as she turned to get a box of pellet food from the shelf. "I was always interested in the study of law but I'm not very good at it. I'm a marine biologist, not great at law stuff like most of the courses you're taking."

He raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, I'm not stalking you or anything, really." She bowed her head, mortified.

Honey giggled. Ari had been sniffing at his face with those long whiskers he had and they tickled.

"Maybe Honey would like to feed you, Ari," she said to cover her confusion. The boy immediately exploded in a frenzy of delight, squealing like mad. He shimmied down his cousin's body like a pole and stood there hopping on one leg and then the other.

"Could I really, Elly-chan?! I really will make sure he doesn't eat too fast like you said! I promise! He's soooo cute!" His eyes sparkled. She nodded, and he took the bowl and rushed off into the wire cage where the fresh food was already set out. Ari hopped after him as fast as he could, nose twitching.

Takashi watched her silently as she dusted off her pants and stood upright again. She calmly replaced the food box and closed the shelf.

"He really loves bunnies, doesn't he?" She nodded when he raised his head in affirmation. "He can stop by at Ari's feeding time whenever he likes. I can see he's doing a very good job out there making sure he doesn't get an upset stomach."

The tall young man glanced off in their direction. "He'd like that."

"So would I." She paused as a door slammed in the back of the apartment. "Oh, great... my roommate's back." She winced as a female voice immediately started screeching.

"It smells like animals in here! That stupid rabbit was inside the house again, wasn't it! I told you I won't allow it anym-" the speaker cut off as she spotted Takashi standing next to the other woman. She was a tall, brown-haired young girl with flashing amber eyes. They focused on him in an instant, then widened in incredulity.

A moment later she fixed Elly with a cunning look and spoke in honeyed tones quite different from how she'd been screaming before.

"Oh, I see a guest arrived for me while I was out." Elly sighed miserably as she was shoved out of the way. "And you kept him entertained. How wonderful." The next glance had daggers in it.

Takashi raised an eyebrow. He stared directly at the girl for a long moment without speaking; long enough for her to fumble and grow nervous. Then he turned his back on her.

"See you in class," was all he said before he walked out.

The door closed behind him and he heard the screeching begin anew as he picked Honey up.

"He's not in any of my classes!"

But he was in Elly's...

"Good morning, class," the teacher told them all in Japanese the next morning. Everyone answered back dutifully.

Takashi glanced over at his cousin and saw he was pointing at Elly, who sat in the back of the room. There was an empty seat next to them and he was trying to get her to sit there. The big guy smiled and it was that more than anything that prompted her to quietly move her books over beside him.

Something like that didn't go unnoticed, of course. Most of the girls were clustered around Tamaki and the twins, a few around Kyoya. Takashi had several admirers, but most were distant-viewers, like Elly had been. With the arrival of what they saw as a threat, however, they grew bold.

They were chatting about how one should address one another - the different add-ons and polite or friendly substitutions that were used in Japanese society. For instance, Takashi was not called that by his classmates. No, they used part of what was thought of as his last name in America to refer to him - "Mori". Only close, personal friends or family called him Takashi; at the moment, the only one here to do so was Honey.

"So what would you call someone older than you?" One piped up with a dangerous glitter in her eyes.

"Or someone who looks older than you," another said in an acid tone, staring right at Elly. Most of the exchange students didn't notice but the girl in their group did. She frowned.

"Haruhi," Tamaki whispered as she made the face. "They're going after her."

"I know," she snapped back. "But why?"

"Really, love?" He rolled his eyes and pointed with one long finger. "That's why."

The subject of their discussion was just realizing what they were doing. Elly's chin had come up though her eyes were flat and tired, weary of going through this again and again. Takashi had noticed, too. He turned his dark-eyed gaze on the one clamoring the loudest and frowned. The young man could intimidate the strongest guy in school with a similar gaze. She cut off what she had been about to say with a startled gulp.

Elly struggled to catch up to him in the hallway after class. "Thanks," she told him quietly.

He shrugged. Honey stepped in front of her with a pout on his face, however. "Why did they do that?" He asked angrily. "That was mean."

"Yeah, well. I've got all this gray in my hair already. They tease me about it."

"That was not teasing," Takashi said.

Honey glanced up at him. "No," he agreed. "They were out to get you! I think they were jealous 'cause we're friends now."

"F - friends?" Elly's dark eyes grew very wide and she stopped in her tracks.

"Yeah!" The seemingly young boy slung an arm around her and laughed happily.

How do you tell someone that you've never had friends before?

She rubbed at her cheeks in embarrassment, smiling a little nonetheless. She'd ducked her head so she didn't notice Takashi had a faint smile on his face, too.


	2. We're Here to Help!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After her roomate does something horrible, the gang decides to help their new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: pet death
> 
> This work does have some animal death - pet fish -- in Chapter 2. It doesn't dwell too much, but works out in the end.

Several weeks passed in which they slowly got to know each other. Elly got used to the tall man's silence and Honey bonded with Ari almost every day. They normally left before the screaming room mate got back, but they'd had a brush or two with her and they knew how hard she was on their new friend. They never thought anything bad would come of it, though.

"The curtains are open." Takashi noticed the difference in the small apartment the moment they got close that day. It was a nice afternoon, sunny and warm and great for their walk.

Honey frowned. "Didn't Elly-chan say the fish wouldn't like it?"

His big cousin grunted in affirmation. They reached the door and knocked once, lightly. It creaked slowly open to reveal a girl nothing like the one they had seen before. Her eyes were red from weeping yet they flashed with such anger Honey took a step back, startled.

"What's wrong?"

"My roommate decided she needed sunlight in the living room for a party. Right away. While I was gone for half the day with shopping and field research." Her voice was tightly controlled as she spoke.

"The fish?" Takashi glanced past her in dismay. The tanks were gone.

"Everything died." Her face crumpled and she shook her head. "I can't... sorry. I'm sorry." She quickly closed the door before they could see her cry.

The tall young man turned and strode abruptly back to where their friends were holding court. Honey's eyes were filled with tears and that only added to his irritation. When he found them, the gaggle of ladies around them scurried like frightened doves as he plowed through, his face like a thundercloud. He walked straight on until he reached the studious Kyoya, seated as usual off to the side with his clipboard.

"Honey. Mori," the other man said quietly without looking up. "Where have you two been?"

"Out." He frowned harder. "Kyoya. Can I ask a favor?"

"A favor?" He set his book down on his lap, his eyes widened slightly. "This is unusual. What is it?"

"We need to help the lady that was at the restaurant the other day!" Honey blurted before his cousin could say anything. "The lady hurt the fishes she was taking care of! On purpose! And she's always yelling at her and saying horrible things, and..."

"Is that true? Are you concerned about this woman?" He calmly ignored the rest of Honey's outburst. The younger man slid down off Takashi's back and stalked off, crying with frustration. A herd of girls clattered immediately to his side and tried to console him.

Takashi's dark eyes remained expressionless but Kyoyo was amazed to see a blush suddenly burn across the bridge of his nose and cheeks. He simply nodded.

"Is it really that bad, Mori?"

"It's bad," Takashi said firmly.

"An abusive roommate?" Kyoya pursed his lips. He looked again at the silent young man whose eyes now had a pleading look in them. "Does she maybe need a little help finding more habitable quarters with a better, ah, person?"

He nodded gratefully.

Back at the apartment complex, Elly was at a complete loss. She wanted to cry but was too tired. She'd been yelled at almost the whole time after the two guys had left. Supposedly it was for showing some emotion over the cruel act that had decimated her tanks. She, however, thought it was because the other girl was jealous.

It didn't matter that she'd yelled back in defense of herself and her lost little flushed friends. That had only made things worse.

So she sat out on the small porch area, her head down on her knees while she tried to think of some way to salvage this situation. That was how they found her when the two young men arrived back some hours later.

Takashi sighed and place a hand on her shoulder.

"Mori?" She looked up, her dark eyes wide and filled with the pain of her simple loss. "I - I'm sorry. They were just fish, she keeps telling me and she - she's right, but ..."

He placed the gentle hand on top of her head this time. "No."

"They were your friends!" Honey pouted.

"Yes," she said, grateful to them for understanding. "They were. And I was studying them for several projects as well." She sighed and looked up at them. "What can I do, though? There's no use trying to change anything until my lease is up. Otherwise I'll lose my half of the security deposit. I'm paying my own way for that, so I can't afford it. I'll have to do everything her way until then or she might even hurt Ari."

Takashi's eyes hardened and Honey shook his head violently. "Nuh-uh, she won't! We found you a better room mate! You can move and stay there the whole time you're in school. And it's close to us!" He chirped this last happily.

Elly frowned, confused. "But - but I can't just move out of the..." She trailed off as she saw a group of young men walking towards her. They were all chatting and joking, even fighting with each as they moved closer. "I have nowhere to go. Every apartment is booked."

And she recognized them.

"What the heck is going on here?"

"I'll tell you later," the brown-haired girl in front said in a resigned tone. "Let's get you packed up and out of here before they decide to 'help' any more."

A few days later she was settled into her new apartment.

It didn't seem to matter that she wasn't taking many classes at the school; money smoothed away all problems and technically, she was enrolled. Elly wasn't confused about the school's willingness to accept her, she was more puzzled by the acceptance of this new group of friends. She broached the subject while poking about her transported tanks.

"Do they go around helping everyone that needs it like this? I mean, it's admirable, and I'm not ungrateful or anything. It's just that it was so sudden. They don't know me that well."

"I don't want to embarrass you or anything," Haruhi murmured, not looking up from the book she was reading. "But I heard Mori was the one that pressed the issue. Mori doesn't speak out a lot, I'm sure you noticed."

Elly laughed softly as she rummaged through the box that held her aquarium supplies. "Yes. It's hard not to."

"Well," Haruhi drawled, "he's a good judge of character. And he never asks for anything for himself."

"Hmm." Her tentative new friend blew out a little puff of air and went about her business, sorting equipment for the fish she would be purchasing soon. Haruhi added ten additional points to her good values, noting that she didn't chatter on and on like most girls she knew. And she was considerate! The fish would be housed in a spare section of the apartment away from windows and blocked by screens to create a free-standing room in one corner. She had asked for opinions about them first and this had been what they worked out.

Personally Haruhi was glad the guys had taken it upon themselves to shove the new person at her. They helped each other with their respective languages and cultures. They were both learning a lot more than when they was just taking classes and going out once in awhile.

Elly had quit her job - something she had eventually intended to do -- much to her boss's dismay. But after writing to her distant parents they were more than happy to add the extra money she needed. In fact they sent so much now that she was embarrassed. She knew they could afford it, but this was why she had taken a year off to earn money herself and learn how to manage it better. When you had so much it didn't matter anymore, you didn't appreciate it.

A week later the tanks had been set up and were ready for a fresh batch of fish. The largest had taken the longest amount of time since it was a saltwater tank and Elly hadn't wanted to purchase anything for any tank until the big "Hobbyist Expo" that was being held in the college auditorium. She was sitting at the kitchen table finishing up a list of species she might want and checking off her water bags filled with trading stock since she'd managed to save some sponges, snails and plants from her previous tanks. She was so intent that she didn't hear the door open or the voices in the living room as Haruhi greeted her guests.

Takashi stepped quietly into the doorway and stood there, hands folded across his chest and head tilted to one side. Elly was busily writing, pausing from time to time to blow at an unruly lock of hair that had fallen out of a clip she'd jabbed somewhat messily into her side locks to keep them in place. Haruhi poked her head into the room, raised an eyebrow, and poked him in the side.

"Mori-senpai," she hissed under her breath in Japanese. He glanced down at her and she made imperious shooing motions towards the table before rushing back into the living room to entertain Honey.

Elly glanced up. "Mori?"

"Hi."

"Hi." She smiled at him, unsure of what to say. He was wearing casual clothing today: jeans and a t-shirt. He wore them with the same ease he wore everything, an indifference to his outfits that made them somehow more attractive.

He walked over and bent down until he was next to her, looking down at her list. "Are you going out?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah, actually..." She blushed when she saw how close he was. "I was going to pick up some new plants, fish and stuff for the tanks."

He regarded her for a moment, then placed a hand on the table next to hers with a peculiar kind of empathis. "Want some company?"

"Would you like to come?" She regarded him in surprise. He nodded. "Okay. Prepare to be bored, though." She smiled. "I get carried away when I'm looking for new additions for my tanks."

Elly was completely astonished when Takashi seemed genuinely interested in all the little creatures at the Expo. He had, she saw, a natural affinity for animal life she hadn't noticed before. He loved animals. She had known her rabbit liked him, but then Ari liked almost everyone - including that bad ex-roommate of hers. He'd always been hopping around after her begging for attention, which had just made things worse.

He didn't speak much, but she was getting used to that. And of course Honey came along, which meant there was enough chatter for everyone.


	3. Call Me by my First Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...it's a special to do so in Japan.

Elly had her hair tied back in a blue kerchief and her sleeves rolled up as she went about the kitchen cleaning up. The cake was in the oven and she was certain Honey would love it. She'd had to search for a long time for the recipe, but she liked to do things for the laconic young man and his younger cousin, especially since they had helped her out.

Living with Haruhi was infinitely better than with that horrible girl she'd been assigned to before. Her new room mate was nice and clean and quiet; they got along very well.

She picked up the bowl she'd mixed the batter in and contemplated it for a moment before dipping a finger in to run it along the edge. She got some on her palm and other fingers as well when she did and she laughed faintly to herself.

She froze moments later as a warm hand lightly grasped her wrist. The door - she never heard it open when he came in. How could someone be that quiet?

"Cleaning up?" The low voice was Takashi's, but there was a difference to it. He sounded almost playful. He brought her hand up and slowly licked some of the batter off. Elly swallowed hard, her heart beating so quickly she could barely breathe. This wasn't like him at all!

"Uh, yes. Just cleaning up after a little baking, Mori."

He nibbled on her fingerpad. "Call me Takashi."

"T - Take - but wait, isn't that like, personal? Calling you by your..."

"What are you baking?" He finished cleaning off her hand and to her complete and stunned amazement placed a tender kiss on her palm. Elly's face flamed and she placed her other on the counter to steady herself. He inhaled deeply. "It smells really good. And so do you," he added in that thrilling new tone.

"I - I wanted to thank you both for helping me so much." Her eyes widened as he placed his hands on either side of her, effectively blocking her in one place, so close to his body. "First in class, then with Ari and the new room arrangements..." The large rabbit hopped in when he heard his name and sat close by, ears flicking as he watched.

"A cake," Mori - now Takashi, she thought in a daze -- mused. "It would almost have to be." 

"Yeah."

"Mitsukuni will love it," he assured her. "Do I have to share? Or do I get something sweeter?"

"Um." She gulped again. She knew how strongly she was attracted to the man but had no idea he might return the feelings. She understood what they had done before in their other school in Japan, though, and was nervous. Was this an act? Did he do it often to other girls there?

When she didn't answer he turned her around with two hands placed gently on her shoulders. He bent down and was only an inch away from her, his eyes half-lidded and mouth slightly parted, when the door slammed behind them.

"I'm back," Haruhi called. She paused in the doorway with her mouth open, one hand clasping a bag of groceries by the plastic handle. "Oh. Well, now."

Takashi straightened and waved at her. Elly was frantic behind him, waving with both her arms in an effort to do something; she didn't know what.

"It's okay." She shrugged the two off and walked to the counter near the fridge. Ari followed her, nose crinkling as she sniffed the cabbage she was setting aside. "None of my business. But I should have warned you, he gets like this when he hasn't had enough sleep."

"What?" Elly blinked.

"Someone woke him up prematurely." She shrugged and squished the plastic bag into the reusable holder they kept hanging up on one of the cabinet doors.

"You get ... this way when you're sleepy?" She touched his chest lightly and he smiled at her and wrapped both arms about her waist. "Yeek!"

"I don't feel tired."

"You're tired, Mori." Haruhi said flatly. "Listen to you - you're talking. Go take a nap."

The tall man lifted Elly easily into his arms and walked over to the couch in the living room area. Without a further word he settled down, pulling her snugly alongside him and half-draped over his chest. Eventually she relaxed and as she fell asleep, she cuddled innocently closer.

That's the way things stood when Honey found them an hour later. The young man walked over, his eyes shining with glee. Ari was hopping alongside him.

"He didn't sleep good last night," he told the rabbit in a hushed voice, a tiny smile twitching the corners of his lips.

Elly woke up some time later in warmth and comfort, nestled close to Takashi and listening to the strong, steady beat of his heart. She only regretted that once he woke up it would end. Worse yet, her arm was asleep. She must have fidgeted a little too much, for in a moment his eyes opened and he yawned.

Then he slowly blinked at the girl cuddled beside him, focusing in mild surprise.

"You didn't get enough rest before," she explained sheepishly. "So, uh, you got..."

He said nothing. His arm didn't drop from where it rested lightly around her waist but she felt it twitch.

"Haruhi told me you can't help it, it's o - okay," she stammered. "You sort of put me here. That's why, uh, I'm here." She cursed silently at herself. She needed to speak but the handsome, laconic young man was so close. She could smell him, a special mix of all the scents that he used or was around often. Everyone had a smell - the perfume or soap they used. His was spicy; she couldn't tell if it was cologne or just one of those fancy deodorant they made for guys now. Either way his closeness combined with that was making her feel light-headed.

"Sorry." He glanced down at her and saw she was blushing prettily. Two hectic patches of color had sprung up on her cheeks.

"It's okay! I guess it's not your fault, you must have done this to others back..." she trailed off as she saw his expression tighten. "Sorry, Mori." She bowed her head.

"Told you," he said slowly as he got up into a sitting position, careful to bring her along with him. "Call me Takashi."

Elly nearly fainted.

A few doors down the friends were all gathering for an informal lunch. The topic of interest? The growing friendship between the silent young man and their new friend.

"...and then he told her to call him 'Takashi'," Tamaki, the leader of the group, babbled gleefully. "I heard him."

"Only Honey calls him by that name," Hikaru mused thoughtfully.

His twin brother Kaoru made a face. "Yeah, we don't even call him that."

Haruhi made a small face, then grinned. "At least they were quiet."

Half the table erupted in a flurry of sound and shocked movement. Tamaki actually fell over backwards in his chair with a loud clatter.

"WHAT?!"

"Relax, guys. All they did was sleep."

"Why wasn't I told about this?" The blond self-proclaimed 'father' of the group was bawling. "I'm so happy for him! I thought he'd never find someone."

"Why not?" The twins spoke in unison.

"Well, I mean, he's not actually such a lovable guy. Not like me." He gargled when Haruhi whapped him in the side.

"Cut that out."


	4. Beachtime Bonding

The group of guys that were Haruhi's friends were always showing up unexpectedly. It was something of a shock for Elly to be treated so nicely by so many people - especially cute men. She thought she knew why, though, since her new roommate told her that they had been part of a Host Club in Japan. The only thing that truly bothered her was the fact that Takashi had been part of it, too. She smiled when they tried to cajole her into coming shopping with them, but she didn't need to spend any money. She was looking forward to some quiet time and everything they did was noisy!

The very man she'd been thinking of poked his head through the door the moment they were gone. His cousin was right beside him, swinging a beach pail around and wielding the plastic shovel that went with it like a tiny sword.

"Want to come with us instead?"

"To the beach?" Her tired eyes lit up as they always did when thinking about the shore. "Let me change and grab a few things. I'll only be a few minutes!"

"You thought she would say no," Honey crowed with delight.

Takashi shrugged, somehow conveying that he still thought she would have said no.

"Yeah, but this is us."

Since she always had a bag packed for a beach outing, Elly was walking around the corner of the room only a few short minutes later. She had on a lavender and light blue one piece bathing suit and jeans on that were faded and ripped at the knees. She had her cell phone in her hand and was searching for a number to dial.

"You look pretty, Elly-chan," he beamed. Honey grinned and elbowed his cousin, who blinked rapidly several times and then coughed to one side, holding a hand up before his face to cover his blush.

"Thanks, Honey," she smiled. "You look cute. Where did you manage to get bunny swim trunks, anyway?"

"I brought them with me."

"Aha." She held the phone up to her ear. "Riley, can you come and get me and two friends from the campus? Yeah... yeah, I did say friends!" She laughed ruefully. "Um. They're guys. Don't let mom freak out if she's home, okay? Give her a little warning. Thanks."

"How long until the car gets here?"

"It'll only be a couple of minutes. We can go to my house, it's quiet there."

"I thought we were going to the beach."

"We are." She grinned.

It was a quarter of an hour later when the chauffeur had dropped them off in front of a large mansion that they understood. She lived on the beach! Aristotle sniffed at the air, flicking his ears around as they clambered out of the large sedan that had come for them.

"Wow. Your house is neat." Honey stared up at the giant structure, taking in the bonsai sculpted shrubbery lining the pebbled drive.

Elly shrugged. "I love the beach but I like plants, too. Mom and dad don't really care, but they had some special stuff planted around so we don't just have sand and rock like mostly everyone else does." She pointed off to the side. "There's where we go - the beach is past the second gate."

They strolled through and moments later were spreading their blankets on the sandy shore. She wriggled her toes in the sand. "This is nice," she sighed. "I always loved having a private beach."

Takashi nodded. "I like the sea."

"It's the best place to be if you need to relax," Elly agreed. "I'm a little biased, though, I'll admit." She sighed and settled down on the blanket. Since it was fairly small, she had to sit very close to him. He glanced over at where his cousin was blissfully playing in the wavelets close by.

They watched Honey chase a bedraggled Ari down the beach together for awhile. The rabbit's paw prints lined the wet sands in all directions.

The tall man leaned back on his elbows. Seeing him stretched out at length was really quite amazing. His chest was smooth and his abdomen rippled with muscle when he moved.She realized she knew only what Haruhi had told her about him, scarcely anything he had told her himself.

"Are you really the national tendo champion back home?"

"Yeah."

She sighed again and gave up, resting back on the blanket with her eyes covered by her arm for a moment. Astonishingly, he offered something on his own.

"It's no big deal. Mitsukuni is even more powerful than I am."

"Mit-" she looked over where the blond man was making a sandcastle. "Honey? Is strong?"

"Yeah."

"His attitude is half an act, isn't it." She laughed to herself. "Not all, I think... he genuinely likes cute things. But as he gets older he probably adapted this pose to charm people - mainly women."

Takashi cracked an eyelid and peered sideways at her. He was surprised she'd seen through his cousin; not many women did. Honey blinded them with his "little boy" attitude, causing them to forget he wasn't really all that young. Something about that decided him, and he laid a hand on hers, noticing her blush as he did so.

"There's a dance Friday. Want to go?"


	5. A Minor Setback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bullies follow Els at the dance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: bullying, small physical attack (is not depicted but inferred).

Elly went out and purchased a new dress for her date; she even went as far to add accessories and try on jewelry to make sure everything was as perfect as she could make it. Haruhi found all this amusing, and said as much the night before to her friend as she anxiously checked everything for the tenth time that night.

"Relax. It'll be fine." She tossed some vegetables into the salad she was making. Elly's lop-eared rabbit was sitting up attentively, watching her as she handled the vegetables, but no one was paying attention to him at the moment.

"It's just new for me, that's all," Elly blurted out. "I've never been to a dance." She took a deep breath, let part of it out and then yanked a chair up and sat down. "Okay, okay. Have I been annoying about it?"

"No, no." The brunette waved a cheerful hand in the air and put the leftover greens away in the fridge. "Look. I'm not saying you shouldn't be excited. You just need to take it easy. It's not like it's your first date or anything, right?" Although her back was to her roommate at that point, she nonetheless sensed Elly's sudden tension that confirmed her suspicions somewhat. The lengthy pause in which she floundered about for an answer helped, too.

Thankfully, she was saved by the beeping of the oven timer. "The rolls are done! I'll get them." At this point Ari fell over on the floor, twitching. No one was going to give him a carrot! Unforgivable. He picked himself slowly up and moped off to the back room to take a nap.

"Thanks. Ooh, they smell good." Haruhi carefully acted like the last few moments hadn't occurred to spare her any further embarrassment. She wasn't sure why the other girl had never been on a date before, but it was obviously sensitive material. The discussion then turned to other matters as the rolls were brought to the table, and the rest of the night passed without further incidents.

Elly slept well despite her anxiousness, and the day before her date with Takashi passed - eventually -- like they all did. Soon it was time for her to get dressed and wait for him to arrive with Riley. The good-natured driver had told her that he would pick her date up first, so it seemed more traditional than her going to get him. They lived close by on campus anyway, so all he had to do was circle the building lot before coming to get her. Elly checked the window every few minutes until she spotted the car - he'd chosen the limo without even asking, and she blushed a deep red when she saw it pull up in front.

"Oh my god," she gasped softly under her breath.

Haruhi wasn't dressed yet since her boyfriend lived directly beside them. They could leave whenever they liked, so she'd hung around to see what happened. She watched, smiling, as the door opened and Takashi walked in without his cousin. That was something she had seen only once before when the boy had gotten separated from them. He wore a dark blue suit and tie, and she was further astonished at this conscious choice to match what his date was wearing. Elly almost always wore blue if she could possibly help it, and he'd known this. Her reaction was about what she expected - nervous and shy -- but amazingly, Mori was not. He offered her his arm and ushered her into the waiting limo. The vehicle started and she had thought it would be a quiet ride to the hall. He surprised her for the first time that evening by complimenting her.

"You look pretty."

She swallowed very hard past the lump that had formed in her throat. "Th- thank you." She wanted to say that he looked handsome, but found it increasingly hard to speak. Mori touched her hand gently.

"I like blue."

"So do I." She took a deep breath. "You're handsome in blue."

His eyes widened and it was his turn to blush. Mercifully, they pulled up at that moment and he got out quickly to cover his embarrassment. People stared as he walked around the big limo and opened her door. Many of the girls from her class were there, and they dragged their own dates inside as the couple walked in. It was dimly, romantically lit in the large dance hall with a buffet on one side and seating on the other. It was exactly what Elly had thought a dance would look like, and she smiled tentatively at the thought that here she was at last. Her new (and only) girlfriend was there already, fending off advances from her blond-haired beau.

"Haruhi!" She turned around and waved, grinning broadly. "I thought it took a little longer to get here," Elly mused. "Riley must have given us some alone time." She chuckled under her breath at the thought.

The group of girls clustered inside watched with mounting irritation as Takashi led her over to the their friends. As they passed the refreshments, someone bumped into her and spilled about half a glass of punch over her side.

"Whoops! Sorry!"

"Hey," Haruhi frowned. The girl had come seemingly out of nowhere and she was suspicious.

Elly sighed. "It's okay," she said in resignation. The person didn't look all that honest in her apology to her, but she tried to force thoughts like that away. She was getting paranoid - the whole community couldn't be against her. "I'll be right back," she told her date. He nodded silently, watching as she moved towards the bathroom. The door closed shut after her and Mori turned around, waiting calmly for her return. Unfortunately, the battalion of Elly's enemies marked this as their big chance and attacked. He grimaced and tried to ignore them. The girls clustered around, vying for his attention and getting angrier every second he didn't bother to look at them. His expression was bored, his eyes half-lidded and mouth set in what would seem a disapproving line if he had been frowning. He simply waited.

Five minutes passed, and then ten. Takashi motioned Haruhi over, pointing at the door with a concerned look. She immediately picked up on what was wrong and she slipped inside to see if anything was wrong. The young women around him seemed nervous now, and some backed away.

It didn't take long before the bathroom door suddenly slammed open to reveal a struggling Haruhi carrying Elly. His date's face was paler than usual and speckled with blood. The front of her dress was also streaked with red and she was cradling her left arm as they stumbled along. Haruhi looked furious as she half-dragged, half-carried her to an alcove in the wall. Takashi's eyes widened in a rare display of shock. He sprinted quickly over while the rest of them stood staring in shock. Tamaki was already questioning his own girlfriend in concern, shaking as he worriedly checked her for any injuries. The brown-haired girl was wearily explaining that anything on her was from Elly and no, she didn't know what had happened. Just that she'd found her in a corner trying to crawl up into a sitting position and crying.

Takashi considered Elly gravely for a moment as she leaned against the wall, her head hanging down. He reached out with one hand but before he could tilt her face up to talk with her, she raised her head. Her eyes were full of tears.

"Hurts," was all she whispered brokenly. His expression went from shock to sheer fury.

"It will be alright," he said softly in his deep voice. The sound was soothing and she allowed herself to be persuaded. She was so tired and sad and confused that nothing seemed to matter at the moment except his comforting presence. He bent and picked her up, careful not to bump her arm against his chest, and turned slowly to face the curious throng that had gathered some distance from them. The girls backed up when they saw the calculated rage in his eyes.

"Takashi?" She murmured worriedly.

"Let's go," He said shortly, and began striding as fast as possible to the clinic on campus.


	6. Rescue Me

Elly sighed. She was exhausted and just wanted the night to be over already. At some point she had passed out in Mori's arms, and has only woken up a few minutes ago. The door opened a crack, spearing the harsh white industrial light from the clinic directly at her cot. A very tall shadow appeared in the doorway, but before he could enter he was accosted by the nurse.

"Are you her boyfriend?" She asked in clipped tones. Elly closed her eyes. This day officially couldn't get any worse. She was spared at hearing him answer, though, because their voices dropped out of range. There was some low talk between them and apparently the nurse decided he was to be trusted, for the light flicked on and he walked in.

"You awake?" He sat down by her side, watching as she nodded. When she didn't offer anything else he was forced to speak again. "They said you're going to have some bruising. It will hurt for awhile."

He paused, frowned as she still remained quiet. No, she wasn't quiet - he leaned over and placed a hand on her arm when he saw she was crying again.

"S - sorry. It was all so wonderful until that happened. I actually felt special." She suddenly wiped a hand roughly over her eyes and sat up. "So can I leave? Did she say?"

"I'll take you home," he said firmly.

The nurse glanced up as the tall guy strode out carrying the bruised and tired girl. Her dress had been ruined but he had given her his jacket to cover the stains and torn material. She smiled to herself as he left. Despite the horrible turn of events, there was a very positive thing that had come of this. She had every confidence in him; he seemed so honest and concerned in asking if there was anything he could do to help.

Takashi was even more quiet than usual as he carried her home. Elly didn't mind. Her arm hurt, the bruising faint now but it would deepen hideously later, as she knew all too well from previous injuries. She just wanted to crawl into bed. Thankfully, the painkiller the nurse had given her had started to kick in halfway there and she was dozing in his arms long before he started to walk up the steps. Haruhi had called the group together and they were all waiting for them in the living room. They exclaimed softly at the sight of a grim Takashi and a very pale Elly. He hesitated only briefly before walking into her bedroom.

It was a beautiful undersea world inside, with fish tanks lining one wall, a large whale shark plush sitting at the foot of the bed and marine books everywhere. Even the lamp he snapped on beside the bed was a blue color with fish on it. He sighed and pulled back the covers with one hand, carefully settling her on her uninjured side.

"M'wha?" Her voice was fuzzy, distorted.

"Sleep," he said softly, pulling the sheet over her. But she reached out and fumbled for his hand.

"Sorry."

Takashi's eyes widened. "Not your fault." She shouldn't be apologizing! But now was not the time for discussions. She trembled suddenly, pressing her face into the pillow and he panicked. How could he make her feel better? Sleep would help, but she was fighting the medicine to try and talk.

"Shouldn't have gone," she mumbled. He frowned and placed her hand back on the sheet.

"Go to sleep," he said more firmly. He bent down and brushed a fall of stray hair away from her cheek. When he straightened, her breathing was slow and regular. He watched for some time until he was satisfied she wouldn't wake.

Discussions were already underway in the living room.

"She looks like she's okay, thank goodness," Tamaki sighed.

"Define 'okay'," Kyoya drawled, raising his eyebrow in disapproval.

"Bruises are better than anything worse!"

"So here's the facts," Haruhi interrupted the two grimly, laying her hands down on the coffee table. "She went into the bathroom and then those girls went in after her. They came out."

"She didn't." Takashi stepped into their circle from the back.

"That's right," Honey chipped in. He glanced worriedly at his cousin. He hadn't seen him this angry in ages.

"I've heard the stories," the brown-haired girl told them. "She's never been really accepted here. Most of the girls make fun of her and are just as nasty as her last roommate. To hear them tell it, she's never had a date until Mori-senpai took her out..."

Takashi raised an eyebrow. "Huh."

"... and she said as much to me earlier, too."

"Never?" Koaru leaned back in his chair.

"Ever?" Hikaru echoed his twin almost perfectly. He scratched his cheek reflectively, his eyes lost in thought. "Then she was really looking forward to that dance. Geez!"

Takashi folded his arms across his chest and nodded in affirmation.

"We have to fix that," Tamaki decided. "Haruhi? Is that what you're thinking?"

"Well," she drawled, "I'm probably not thinking exactly what you are, but yeah."


	7. A Happy Ending

Honey and Takashi visited the recovering Elly every day until she was rested enough to return to class. And although the bruises hadn't faded entirely and she was still angry at what had happened, she did feel better. She never told anyone what had happened inside the bathroom, and it was just as well. No one pressed her for details. The girls in her class seemed chastened and had even stopped picking on her as much in public. Of course, they were all busy with something that had been the talk of the campus for a while now anyway.

She began seeing the flyers as soon as she walked up the tree-lined drive to class. It was the topic of every discussion. It seemed everywhere she turned girls were going crazy with talk of dresses and jewelry and hairstyles. She groaned.

"Not again!" She was so disinterested that she didn't even look closely once at the posters. She heard from sparkling, feminine girl-chatter that it was an event "no one could miss" (although they always said that) and that "it was for charity" (almost all of these were). After her last experience, she really didn't want to try another dance. Elly was afraid Takashi would ask her to go and she really didn't want to say no. She was just afraid it would be another disaster. As she rounded a corner there he was, waiting for her outside the classroom with his arm out. She smiled shyly, letting him escort her to a seat where she was sandwiched between him and his cousin. He said nothing during the lesson, only nodded when Honey started babbling about lunch afterwards.

"...and I thought we could go to the part with the huge salad bar and they'd let me take some home to Ari and then I could feed him!"

"That sounds great," she grinned. "Remember not to give him too much, though. You're not the one that has to clean up when his tummy gets sick later!" Honey giggled under his breath and nodded. Snorting softly at this exchange, Takashi patted her stack of books and bent to allow her to relinquish them to the already large pile in his arms. He straightened easily and they began making their way towards the cafeteria. They passed countless flyers for the big dance, and Honey picked one up curiously.

"Are you going, Takashi?" He craned his neck to peer up at her. "Elly?"

She sighed. "After what happened last time?"

Mori regarded her curiously for a moment, then responded with a question right back at her. "Are you afraid?"

"That something will go wrong. Yes." Her shoulders slumped. Honey wisely kept his mouth shut as the couple stopped, staring at each other. "I'm sorry, Takashi - I want to go with you. I really do."

"Okay."

She blinked. "What?"

It was his turn to sigh. "You want to go." He shifted the books to one arm and curled the other comfortingly around her shoulders as they began walking again. "We'll go."

"We're all gonna be there," Honey chimed in, his eyes large and shining. "Everybody this time! It'll be extra fun!" He squeezed Elly's arm and she giggled despite herself. Takashi tightened his arm about her in a light hug and she smiled at him, too.

"Damn it," she murmured softly. "All right. I'm still nervous, though."

This time Elly's nervousness was not out of excitement, but anxiety. She had a few nightmares about the new dance being just as much of a disaster - or more -- as last time. Although she tried to hide it, her friends noticed. When it was finally time, Haruhi gently led her to her room and pointed at the bed. There was an ornately decorated large box laying there.

"We bought you a dress this time, so don't worry about that other one."

Elly's eyes widened. "I completely forgot."

"I know." The brunette smiled. "You've been way too stressed about it. That's okay," she added , waving off anything the other girl might have said as an excuse. "Just put it on and come outside."

"Yes." Elly smiled. "I can do that." She took a deep breath and lifted the box lid, eyes widening even further. It was a mermaid's dress, with a light colored bikini top and form fitting bottom all one length to the floor. She would have her midriff exposed, below shining with emerald, aqua and blue sequins just like a tail. She did feel a little ridiculous putting it on, as well as the seashell hair piece that looked like a crown, but knew the group would insist. They had bought it for her, after all. And they definitely had something in mind. She shook herself lightly, stepping out past her door and out beyond, heading for the waiting limo. Haruhi informed her that Mori was waiting for her at the event already, but again reassured her that everything was okay.

"I know you're up to something," Elly sighed.

"Me?" Haruhi snorted indelicately. "No, if it's scheming, it's almost always those guys." She grinned then. "We're here."

"Oh boy."

The outside of the event hall was milling with gorgeously dressed people filtering in little by little. She rolled her shoulders back and strode as confidently as she could manage inside, though trembling with cold hands and nowhere to warm them in the tight fitting ensemble she wore. Haruhi held back a moment, then smiled and followed her in. When she found her friend, she was standing still in shock inside the ballroom doors. Elly gasped as she took in the magnificent surroundings about her. This was opulent even by upper class standards! Everything was decked out to appear as if the whole room was underwater, from soft blue lighting to pots that shimmered the light on the walls and ceiling to look just like waves. Green silk strands simulated kelp and there was more - she couldn't even take it all in at once.

Yet remarkable as it was, the scenery was forgotten when she saw who sat on one gilded throne of two up on a dais at the far end. The odd thing was that he's not even self-conscious about it, she thought in a daze as the twins led her directly to him. The man of her dreams was nude to the waist with an intricate network of swirling sea-green markings drawn over his upper torso and just above his navel. The outfit he wore on his lower half was designed to look like a merman's tail: sea green with light blue highlights, all done in sequins so it sparkled and shone under the soft light. As she got closer she saw it was a front piece, like a robe; he could stand and walk with no problem. Under the tail he wore tight-fitting, dark blue pants with a green sash about his waist.

His left hand was gripping a long gold trident with shining gems set before each point.

"What is all this?" She gasped.

"King Neptune," Kaoru grinned.

"I - I can see that, but ..."

"He's been lonely," Hikaru added impishly.

"What?" She shook her head to clear it. "Takashi, what's going on?"

He held out his free hand to her. "Come," he said simply. He passed his trident over to one of the waiting twins. Bemused, she tottered forward and was caught in a swift embrace. He half escorted, half carried her to the dance floor.

"Wait," she gasped. "You did all this?"

He pulled her even closer, his hand relaxing on her waist. "Yes."

"All of it? The undersea theme, the ... you ..." She stared up at him, her lower lip caught between her teeth. Before the conversation got any farther, however, a spotlight was shone brilliantly on them, stopping everyone in their tracks as they turned to stare. The young man blushed. He knew what type of antics his friends got into when they started singling couples out. Takashi leaned forward and placed a warm hand on the back of her neck. His fingers lightly brushed her hair, noting again with satisfaction at how very dark it was, shining with a few silvery lines of grey. He didn't understand why the other girls teased her about that; he found it attractive.

Her hands lightly rested on his chest. Strange how they seemed to burn there, since her palms were warm but not hot. The people around them forgotten, he pulled gently to bring her face closer to his. It was more a request than an act of force and she went willingly as soon as she felt his urging. They slowly came together, noses brushing softly before their mouths met.

Elly was actually shocked when they kissed. She'd thought they would be interrupted in some fashion, perhaps by one of the jealous clusters of girls gnawing their livers on the sidelines. Who knew? With her luck, it could have been anything. Instead there was nothing but the tall man's warmth against hers. It was fleeting but sweet. His tongue flicked out and lingered on her lower lip for a moment as they separated. Their eyes met, his half-lidded with what looked like amusement.

"Okay," she sighed. "Wow."

He chuckled lowly. Their friends and most of the crowd had started a thunderous round of applause that they turned to acknowledge. She couldn't believe the night they gave her. It was amazing, and so was the young man she'd fallen in love with.

After the kiss she could admit to so much more than that.


End file.
